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SPFBO Author Interview: Lorri Moulton “Magic’s Betrayal”

Back with a new interview! December is going to be a bit slow for my SPFBO posts, as I will be dedicating a lot of it to my anniversary of The Thousand Scars launch as well as my annual gaming articles for 2018. It’s been an interesting year for certain.

Today’s interview is with Lorri Moulton, with her book Magic’s Betrayal. She owns Lavender Bass Books and that book cover is quite nice 🙂 Here’s a link to her book down below:

First of all, tell me about yourself! What do you write?

My name is Lorri Moulton and I own Lavender Lass Books. I write stories filled with romance, mystery, fantasy and history.

How do you develop your plots and characters?

I usually start with an idea and a very basic plot. Then, I develop my characters. I believe that when you really know your characters, you don’t have to think about what they’ll do. You know exactly what they’ll do in any situation. When I have that connection, then I go back and develop the plot.

Tell us about your current project.

Right now, I’m working on three different books. One is a sweet romance for Christmas and another is the second book in a fantasy/romance series. The last is an alternate timeline story based on our own past, but with some unexpected twists.

Who would you say is the main character of your novels? And tell me a little bit about them!

My main characters are usually smart, caring individuals who find themselves in the midst of some unexpected situation. They often have to work with others they may not trust at first, but with whom they soon develop strong attachments. I enjoy playing characters off each other and letting their strengths and weaknesses help drive the plot. At heart, I’m a romance writer so my stories end with a happily ever after for most of the characters.

What advice would you give new writers on how to delve into creative fiction?

Find your voice. Don’t be like everyone else. Write what you love and the story you believe needs to be told. If no one else has done that yet, maybe it’s a wonderful opportunity to do something unique and different.

What real-life inspirations did you draw from for the worldbuilding within your book?

In Magic’s Betrayal, the backstory is very loosely based on the Milesian invasion of what is now Ireland. I used the conflict to explain why magic might exist in a land, where the people don’t realize it’s all around them.

What inspires you to write?

I enjoy telling stories because they give people hope! There’s so much more we’re capable of doing than most of us realize. I think stories can remind us to be our best selves, so I’m obviously in the NobleBright category, when it comes to fantasy.

What was the hardest part of writing this book?

Not using pronouns. I have never written a story, where three of the main characters are definitely a man or woman, but I never tell the reader which one. I wanted the person reading the story to identify with their favorite character and put themselves into that situation. Then, the other characters can become who the reader wants them to be. I love fairytales and fantasy, but too often (being the girl) we don’t get to see ourselves as the main characters in the story. I wanted everyone to be able to choose if they wanted to see themselves as the studious noble, fighting for honor and family or the charming commoner, challenging the king’s men.

What was your favorite chapter (or part) to write and why?

This story started out as being published one chapter at a time on Amazon. I did not expect it to be more than six to eight chapters, but it turned out to be 23. My favorite part really happens throughout the story, but it’s when the characters realize they’re stronger together than they are apart. Bringing different factions and kingdoms together can be challenging, but definitely worth it by the end of the story!

Did you learn anything from writing this book and what was it?

Except a renewed appreciation of pronouns? LOL I would say I learned that nothing is impossible. I wanted to create memorable characters and give them an exciting plot, while keeping readers interested enough to keep buying the story one chapter at a time. And I wanted all this while encouraging readers to try something not usually seen in fairytales: three main characters never defined by their gender and a shape-shifting kelpie, who can be a man, woman or horse.

It’s sometimes difficult to get into understanding the characters we write. How do you go about it?

I create my characters and make up sometimes elaborate backstories for them. Most of these never makes it into the story, but I know what they are. It gives the characters depth and helps me know what they’ll do in any given situation. And as important as this is for protagonists, it’s also essential for antagonists. There has to be a reason someone becomes a villain and making all the characters as three-dimensional as possible creates a much better story.

What are your future project(s)?

I’m planning a new mystery series, continuing a historical romance series and finishing two trilogies. What I’m really excited about is the alternate timeline history I mentioned earlier. It will have suspense, romance, battles, intrigue, betrayal and many complicated characters.

If you couldn’t be an author, what ideal job would you like to do?

I’d probably teach again. I enjoyed it, but writing has a lot more freedom and the appeal of creating entire worlds filled with wonderful characters, who do amazing things.

What is your preferred method to have readers get in touch with or follow you (i.e., website, personal blog, Facebook page, here on Goodreads, etc.) and link(s)?

This needs an overhaul, so here it is!
The name is Michael Baker, I'm currently 29 years old, and completely devoted to writing fantasy! I'm also a freelance writer in the gaming industry.
Why hello people! Good to have you here. Welcome to my mad, dark world. *clears throat.*
Not too much to say about me. The name's Michael Baker but I'll be publishing through Michael R. Baker. I'm a guy from the North-East of England; blogger, gamer and fantasy writer. Writing has been my life for most of it, with most of my genre in the fantasy and horror department, though I'd love to dabble in Sci-Fi too.
This blog is a personal journey for me, as well to discuss things that are important to me. That includes supporting awesome works from you amazing people, novels, video games, and my own path through life.